Onboard oil containment system

ABSTRACT

An oil containment system aboard a vessel which includes a pneumatic system to provide power to a winch and reel assembly containing boom whereby the pneumatic supply is capable of simultaneously powering the winch-reel assembly for boom deployment through inflatable gas fed to a pneumatic motor while also inflating the boom. The inflation of the boom is accomplished by diverting, all or any portion thereof, the inflatable gas from a pneumatic supply through a hose that runs concurrently on the outside of the boom wherein appropriate rates of inflatable gas pressure are allowed to flow through the hose to feed through a valve and hose assembly that connects the inflatable gas supply of the hose to the inflatable gas containment system of the boom. The pneumatic supply originates from a single pneumatic system powering both the winch and reel assembly as well as associated brake and feeding inflatable gas pressure to the inflation hose running concurrently with the boom. The system may be manufactured in a form such that it is compact enough to be installed in, or rapidly transported to, any area or place or vessel where there is likelihood of a discharge of floating material, such as hydrocarbons, floating on a liquid surface. The present invention may also be operated through the use of pneumatic control without the benefit of electric power making it particularly useful for applications in remote areas or during a disaster when electrical power is not readily available.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/358,566,filed Jun. 25, 2010, incorporated herein by reference, is herebyclaimed.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to a system, its devices and methods, forhousing, deploying and maintaining a floating barrier or boom forrestraining and collecting floatable material, such as hydrocarbons,floating on the surface or just below the surface of a body of water.More particularly this invention pertains to a system, its devices andmethods, that allow for rapid deployment of floating barriers by a novelfloating barrier delivery, deployment and Inflation system.

2. General Background of the Invention

For many years conventional floating oil booms or barriers have beenused in an attempt to contain floating material, such as hydrocarbons,on the surface, or just below the surface, of a body of water.Conventional floating booms are either housed on a marine vessel or onland in an deflated state. When needed these booms are deployed byattaching the leading end of the boom to a deployment vessel which towsthe boom into place and inflates the boom from the leading first-offend. These booms are normally comprised of an elongated tubular body,sometimes sectioned into self-contained inflatable gas bladders, that isproduced by the inflation of a sealed tube, or each inflatable gasbladder, to which an oil confining skirt or flap suitable for containingfloatable material is attached. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,682,151and 3,494,132 which disclose a series of plastic tubes which areinterconnected by sleeves with the plastic tubes then being inflated toachieve the inflated state. Also, see for example U.S. Pat. No.4,325,653 that discloses dual inflatable tubes with a skirt in betweenwith said inflatable tubes being inflated with external inflatable gashoses.

Also, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,911 which discloses a gas-inflatable boomwherein a single inflatable boom is inflated from an inflatable gassupply on the deploying vessel. All the patents cited above contemplateinflation from the leading edge of the boom one section at a time and donot disclose any method for the continuous inflation of the boom from asingle inflatable gas source originating at the lagging last-off sectionof boom that runs concurrently with the boom, nor do they discloseinflation from an inflatable gas source already connected to the boomprior to deployment.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,589 discloses a collapsible boom containing anindividual inflation chamber, however each inflation chamber must beconnected to an inflatable gas supply and inflated separately as theboom is deployed. This greatly increases the time and complexity ofinflation and deployment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,589 makes no mention of anequalized, pressurized inflatable gas supply running concurrently withthe boom to allow for rapid inflation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,785 discloses a method wherein a reactant body iscontained within the boom itself such that by mechanical action thereactants can be activated to release an inflating gas by chemicalreaction. After inflation by chemical reaction of the reactant the boomis inflated with pressurized inflatable gas from the first-off, orleading, end to ensure proper Inflation. Thus the boom may only be useda single time and then must be replaced.

Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,022,785 and 5,346,329 disclose individualizedcompartments or compartments separated by valves for the purpose ofpreventing deflation of an entire section of boom. Neither of thesepatents discloses an Inflatable gas being supplied to the individualcompartment from an external, individualized source.

Thus the above patents and current practices employed to respond todischarges of floatable material on water surfaces, such ashydrocarbons, fail to disclose a rapidly deployable system incorporatinga retaining boom that can be deployed from a single point without needfor multiple power sources, which can withstand ruptures and leaks. Thepatents recited above also are restricted in the functional length of asingle floating barrier, or boom, because they lack an inflatable gasdelivery line that runs concurrently with the entire length of boom.Further, current methods and practices require that vessels for thedeployment and inflation of the boom, containment machinery and booms betransported, often from considerable distances, to the site of adischarge on the water. This delay results in increased, uncontaineddischarges of toxins onto the water. Consequently, it is an object ofthis present invention to provide for an on-site or on-board system thatincorporates a power system and inflatable gas supply to the winch-reel(assembly and boom that will allow rapid boom deployment, control of thewinch-reel assembly and control, the rate of deployment of the boom froma reel or other storage area.

Another object of this invention is to provide for a power system forrewinding of deployed boom onto a reel or other storage area withoutinterruption to already inflated areas of the boom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a floating barrierdeployment system that can be deployed and inflated from a single pointinflatable gas supply originating from the lagging, or last-off, end ofthe boom.

Still another object of this invention is to supply inflatable gas tothe boom, or inflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartmentswithin the boom, from an individualized inflation point directlyassociated with the specific boom for inflatable gas bladders orinflatable gas compartments within the boom, said inflatable gas supplyoriginating from the inflatable gas delivery hose in the proximity ofthe lagging, or last-off, end of the boom and having an equalizedinternal pressure not exceeding the pressure containing capabilities ofthe boom, or inflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartmentswithin the boom.

Still another object of this invention is to supply an inflatable gas tothe boom, or Inflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartmentswithin the boom, from an individualized inflation point directlyassociated with the specific boom, or inflatable gas bladders orinflatable gas compartments within the boom, such that the inflatablegas is supplied through a hose running externally and concurrently withthe boom.

This design allows for the boom to be continuously inflated from aninflatable gas supply originating from the inflatable gas delivery hosein the proximity of the non leading, or last-off, end of the boom.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide inflating medium,such as air, to inflate the floating barrier from a single point supplythat can inflate the entire floating barrier and continuously maintaininflation of the floating barrier once deployed and inflated.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide for a containmentsystem that can be rapidly transported via helicopter to a discharge,site for rapid deployment.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a floating barrierdeployment system and floating barrier that is not limited in the lengthof the floating barrier that can be deployed, inflated and maintained inan inflated state.

Furthermore, it is an object of this invention to provide a controlmechanism for deployment, Inflation and maintenance of inflation of afloating barrier that allows the operator to control, from a singlepoint, the rate of deployment and inflation of a floating barrier.

Yet another object of this invention is to allow for a floating barrierdeployment system and floating barrier to be housed on marine vessels orat stationary points, including without limitation docks, ports, shores,islands, seawalls, dikes, skimming vessels, barges, ocean going vessels,rescue vessels, drilling rigs, boats, and pontoons.

Yet another object of this invention is to allow for the deployment,inflation, maintenance and directional control of the deployed andinflated boom without the use of a secondary deployment vehicle.

Still another object of this invention is to allow for the directionalcontrol of the deployed, inflated boom without the benefit of asecondary deployment vessel.

Additionally, it is an object of this invention to deploy thecontainment system without requiring the use of electrical supply orelectrical controls.

The following U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference:

TABLE PATENT NO. TITLE ISSUE DATE 2,682,151 Boom for confining material1954 Jun. 29 floating on water 3,494,132 Inflatable float boom 1970 Feb.70 3,729,589 Adapter Unit for Telephone Apr. 24, 1973 AnsweringInstrument 4,325,653 Oil containment booms 1982 Apr. 20 5,022,785Floating barrier method and 1991 Jun. 11 apparatus 5,346,329 Floatingbarrier method and 1994 Sep. 13 apparatus

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is disclosed is a system for containment for floating material,such as hydrocarbons, floating on a liquid surface, including withoutlimitation an inflation apparatus, floating barrier deployment system,floating barrier inflation system and methods for the same. The PresentInvention allows for rapid deployment and inflation of a floatingbarrier and the continuous Inflation of said floating barrier bysupplying an inflatable gas to the boom, or inflatable gas bladders orInflatable gas compartments Within the boom, from an individualizedinflation point directly associated with the specific boom, orinflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartments within the boom,said inflatable gas supply originating from a source not connected tothe leading, or first-off section of boom, preferably originating fromthe lagging, or last-off, end of the boom and having an equalizedinternal pressure not exceeding the pressure containing capabilities ofthe boom, or inflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartmentswithin the boom.

This present invention, through novel, useful and non-obvious means,solves problems associated with the current state of the art indeployment, inflation, directional control and use of inflatablebarriers, including without limitation 1) the need for separatedeployment vessels and/or service vessels required for deployment,Inflation and subsequent maintenance of the buoyancy of the floatingbarrier, 2) the deflation of sections of the floating barrier renderingit useless or less effective, 3) the need for multiple systems or powersupplies for the deployment, inflation and inflation control of thefloating barrier, 4) the fact that current floating barrier systems arerestricted in the functional length of a single floating barrier andmust link together multiple floating barriers to achieve suitablelengths of floating barrier to retain large areas of material floatingupon a liquid surface, such as hydrocarbons, 5) the fact that earlierdisclosed or practiced methods for the containment of floating material,such as hydrocarbons, floating on a liquid surface are too large to behoused on-site at the shore or on-board marine vessels, and 6) the factthat earlier disclosed or practiced methods for the containment offloating material, such as hydrocarbons, floating on a liquid surfacerequire the use of a separate marine vessel to accomplish, either inwhole or in part, the delivery, deployment, directional control andinflation of the containment system.

The present invention may be manufactured as part of newly manufacturedboom or retrofitted to already existing boom. The present invention usesa pneumatic system to provide power to the winch and reel assemblycontaining boom whereby the pneumatic supply is capable ofsimultaneously powering the winch-reel assembly for boom deploymentthrough inflatable gas fed to a pneumatic motor while also inflating theboom. The inflation of a boom is accomplished by diverting, all or anyportion thereof, the Inflatable gas from a pneumatic supply through ahose that runs concurrently on the outside of the boom whereinappropriate rates of inflatable gas pressure are allowed to flow throughthe hose to feed through a valve and hose assembly that connects theinflatable gas supply of the hose to the inflatable gas containmentsystem of the boom. In preferred embodiments the pneumatic supplyoriginates from a single pneumatic system powering both the winch andreel assembly as well as associated brake and feeding inflatable gaspressure to the inflation hose running concurrently with the boom.

The present invention may be manufactured in a form such that it iscompact enough to be installed in, or rapidly transported to, any areaor place or vessel where there is likelihood of a discharge of floatingmaterial, such as hydrocarbons, floating on a liquid surface. Thepresent invention may also be operated through the use of pneumaticcontrol without the benefit of electric power making it particularlyuseful for applications in remote areas or during a disaster whenelectrical power is not readily available.

The present invention allows for single source boom deployment,Inflation of floating barriers during boom deployment, as well asmaintenance or emergency refill as needed from an Inflation source thatis located in close proximity to the winch-reel assembly at or near thelagging Or last-off section of boom. This is notably different fromcurrent floating barrier containment systems where the boom inflationmethods require a second vessel to deploy the boom and the boom isinflated from the leading end, or first-off boom section, of the alreadydeployed section of boom as compared to the present invention thatpreferably fills the boom from the lagging end, or last-off boomsection, as the boom, or sections of boom, are released from thewinch-reel assembly.

The present invention may also employ a guide line or wire that is alsodeployed from the same vessel or fixed site from which the boom isdeployed. As a portion of the present invention the guide line or wiremay be maintained on or fixed to the deploying vessel or be maintainedon or attached to a land based site. In this invention the opposite endof the guide wire is attached to the leading end of the floating barrieras it is deployed, inflated and maintained from the winch-reel assemblyallowing an individual to guide the direction of the boom from thevicinity of the deployment system while the boom is being deployed,inflated and maintained. This guide wire may also be transported acrossand around a vessel or land based site to allow for greater control ofthe direction of the boom as it is being deployed, inflated andmaintained. It is also possible to employ a secondary vessel to guidethe direction of the boom as it is deployed, inflated and maintained. Itis also possible to have the vessel to which the guide wire is attachedmaneuver to control the direction of the boom as it is deployed,inflated and maintained.

Because of the many varying and differing embodiments and componentparts that may be used with the Present Invention, yet still within thescope of the inventive concept taught herein, and because modificationsmay be made In the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with thedescriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that thedetails disclosed are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limitingin any way.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages ofthe present invention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, read in conjunction with the following drawings, whereinlike reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment of the system ofthe present Invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the spoolportion of the system of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is an overall view of a section of boom in the preferredembodiment of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of a section of boom as illustrated inFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross section view of the reel containing the entire lengthof deflated boom in the system of the present invention with a sectionof boom having been inflated after it has left the reel;

FIG. 6 is an interior view of the section of boom illustrated in FIG. 5illustrating the air as it is entering the section of boom to inflatethe section of boom;

FIGS. 7 through 9 illustrate sequential views of the length of boombeing released from a vessel to capture an oil spill emanating from thevessel in the system of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a reel of boom having been emptied and another beingset it its place to allow further deployment of boom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Without departing from the principle of the invention, and withoutlimitation to other embodiments, an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention will now be described by way of example only and includes,without limitation, an onboard or onsite pneumatic system located in theproximity of the winch-reel assembly, a manifold connected by a valve,and in preferred embodiments quick-connect coupling, to the inflatablegas supply, a control box receiving Inflatable gas supply from themanifold and connected and controlling a motor and brake on thewinch-reel assembly, an Inflatable gas supply passing through a manifoldand then, interchangeably, a pressure regulator and a control valve orboom inflation valve to the inflatable gas delivery hose attached to,and running concurrently with the boom as contained on the winch-reelassembly. During deployment, said inflatable gas delivery hose supplyingan inflatable gas to the boom, or inflatable gas bladders or inflatablegas compartments within the boom, from an individualized inflation pointdirectly associated with the specific boom, or Inflatable gas bladdersor inflatable gas compartments within the boom, said inflatable gassupply first passing through the delivery hose from the lagging, orlast-off, end of the boom and having an equalized internal pressure notexceeding the pressure containing capabilities of the boom, orinflatable gas bladders or inflatable gas compartments within the boom.In other embodiments the power source for the various components of thepresent invention may also be, without limitation, hydraulic or electricor fuel driven.

Without departing from the principle of the invention, and withoutlimitation to other embodiments differing in size, scope or boom length,and prior to a discussion of the FIGS. 1 through 10, an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention will be described by way of exampleonly.

In an exemplary embodiment, for the purposes of inflating the inflatablesection of the boom, when the inflatable gas supply is engaged such thatinflatable gas is supplied to the inflatable gas supply lines, eitherdirectly or through a manifold, the inflatable gas travels through oneinflatable gas supply line and the pressure of the inflatable gas supplyline is controlled by a pressure regulator wherein the pressure of theinflatable gas is decreased from the original pressure to a pressuresuitable for inflation of the boom. The inflatable gas traveling throughthe inflatable gas supply line is allowed to continue to flow throughthe inflatable gas supply line supplying inflatable gas to the boom bythe opening and closing of a boom inflation valve. When the boominflation valve is in the open position, inflatable gas will travel at apressure suitable for inflation of the boom through the inflatable gassupply line to inflate the boom. The inflatable gas supply from theinflatable gas supply line can enter the boom directly through theinflation/deflation port on the inflatable section of the boom, oralternatively, the inflatable gas supply from the inflatable gas supplyline can enter the inflatable section of the boom via a jumper hose thatconnects the inflatable gas supply line to the inflatable section of theboom. The inflatable gas supply line can be attached to the boom and runthe entire length of the boom and inflate multiple inflatable sectionsof the boom either in series or simultaneously.

By maintaining the appropriate pressure of inflatable gas within theinflatable gas supply line the boom can be maintained in an inflatedstate, or alternatively a pressure valve inserted inthe—inflation/deflation port of the inflatable section of the boom canbe selected and inserted into the inflation/deflation port connected tothe inflatable gas supply, either directly or by use of a Jumper hose,such that the pressure valve automatically closes when the inflatablesection of boom is inflated thus maintaining the inflatable section ofthe boom in an inflated state. If the pressure in the boom drops below acertain threshold a pressure valve on the inflation/deflation port maybe selected such that it opens to allow additional inflatable gas fromthe inflatable gas supply line to enter the boom to re-inflate theinflatable section of boom or to maintain the inflatable section of boomin an inflated state.

In other embodiments no such pressure valve is needed as the pressure ofinflatable gas supply in the inflatable gas supply lines connected tothe inflatable section of the boom may be otherwise controlled formaximum effective inflation of the inflatable sections of the boom. Thismanner of supplying inflatable gas to the inflatable sections of a boomthrough inflatable gas supply lines can allow for an inflatable gassupply line running concurrently with the boom such that the inflatablegas supply traveling through the inflatable gas supply lines passesfirst by the portion of the inflatable gas supply line associated withthe lagging, or last-off, section of the boom.

For the purpose of operating the winch-reel assembly, when theinflatable gas supply is engaged such that inflatable gas is supplied tothe inflatable gas supply lines, either directly or through a manifold,the inflatable gas will travel through inflatable gas supply lines tothe motor and also to the pneumatic control mechanism. The inflatablegas delivered by the inflatable gas supply lines to the pneumaticcontrol mechanism can then be controlled by the pneumatic controlmechanism such that supply of inflatable gas delivered through theinflatable gas supply lines can operate the motor in the forward andreverse directions and separate inflatable gas supply lines funning fromthe pneumatic control mechanism to the brake/clutch mechanism cancontrol the engagement and disengagement of the motor from thewinch-reel assembly. Thus, through the use of inflatable gas supplied tothe motor and pneumatic control mechanism the motor can be operated andengaged such that the boom housed on the winch-reel assembly can bedeployed or returned to the winch-reel assembly. When working in concertthe application of the inflatable gas supply as described above allowsan operator to control the deployment of boom from the winch-reelassembly and inflation of the boom as it is deployed from the winch-reelassembly from a single, localized area allowing for greater speed ofdeployment and inflation of the boom to contain floatable materialsfloating on a liquid surface.

In an exemplary embodiment, once the first length of boom is deployedfrom the first reel as described the empty reel can be removed from thewinch-reel assembly and additional reels of boom can be inserted andconnected to the winch such that the winch-reel assembly is capable ofdeploying additional lengths of boom on a repeated, or continual, basisas described. The inflatable gas supply lines allows for inflation ofthe boom presently being deployed from the winch-reel assembly as wellas the maintenance of the inflatable gas pressure throughout the entirelength of the inflatable gas supply lines of all segments of boom thathave previously been deployed allowing for the maintenance of theinflation of the boom as herein described. Alternatively, the length ofboom may be maintained from another vessel.

FIGS. 1 through 10 illustrate the preferred embodiment of thecontainment system of the present invention by the numeral 10. In FIG.1, system 10 would comprise a vessel inflatable gas supply 12, providedon a vessel 13, such as a container ship or tanker or the like ship. Thegas supply 12 is connected to a manifold 14 such that an inflatable gas(Arrow 17) generated by the vessel inflatable gas supply 12 is passedfrom the vessel inflatable gas supply 12 at an approximate pressure of100 p.s.i, which may deviate higher or lower depending on circumstances,to the manifold 14 by connecting hoses 16. The inflatable gas 17 is thendistributed by the manifold 14 to a motor 18, the control 20, and theboom inflation valve 22 by connecting hoses 16. The connecting hoses 16connecting the manifold 14 to the control 20 and the boom inflationvalve 22 will have varying p.s.i. as controlled by the associated firstPSI pressure regulator 24 and second PSI pressure regulator 26,respectively, or in place of the two regulators 24, 26, a single, dualfunctioning pressure regulator. The manifold 14 will distribute aninflatable gas 17 through the connecting hoses 16 to the motor 18 at anapproximate pressure of 100 p.s.i., which may deviate higher or lowerdepending on circumstances. The manifold 14 will distribute aninflatable gas 17 through the connecting hoses 16 passing through thePSI pressure regulator 24 to the control 20 at an approximate pressureof 70 p.s.i., which may deviate higher or lower depending oncircumstances. The manifold 14 distributes an inflatable gas 17 throughthe connecting hoses 18 passing through the PSI pressure regulator 26 tothe boom inflation valve 16 at approximately 0.5 p.s.i. or a pressuresuitable to attain inflation of the boom.

The control 20 will operate to pneumatically control the forward (Arrow30) and reverse (Arrow 32) action of the motor 18. Although the term“gas” is used in this discussion, it is foreseen that the preferred“gas” will be air under certain pressures, although other gases may beutilized. The control 20 will also operate to pneumatically control thebrake/clutch 34 through control to engage or disengage motor 18. Themotor 18 is thus operated by distribution of inflatable gas from themanifold 20 to the motor 18 that operates the action of the reel 36based upon the direction of the operator through actuation of thecontrol 20 to engage or disengage motor 18 and direct rotation of thereel 36 by the control 20 operating the motor 18 to cause rotation ofthe reel 36 in the forward or reverse direction. As seen in FIG. 1, inthe preferred embodiment, the reel is engaged to the motor via a belt44, or chain which may be encased in a housing 47, as seen in phantomview. Alternatively, the reel 36 may be driven by an internal gear.

As the reel 36 is rotated in the forward direction to deploy boom withinflatable gas delivery supply lines 40 attached at point 42 from thereel 36 the boom inflation valve 22 is opened by the operator such thatinflatable gas passes through the rotorseal valve 46 and then passingthrough the inflatable gas delivery supply line 40 as attached to thelagging or last-off section of boom 50. The air travels within theinflatable gas delivery supply line 40 running concurrently with theboom 50, and ultimately inflating the sections 52 of the boom 50 as itis deployed from the reel 36.

In FIG. 2 there is illustrated an exploded view of the system 10,wherein the reel 36 would be mounted onto a base 37 secured onto thedeck 15 of the vessel 13. As discussed earlier, the reel 36 would rotatefreely with the ends 39, 41 of the reel 36 engaged in openings 43 in theupright sidewalls 38 in base 37. As further illustrated, motor 18 wouldlikewise be mounted on base 37, and would include the belt 44 forimparting rotation of reel 36 when the motor is powered from the control20, and the speed of rotation of the reel 36 is provided by thebrake/clutch 34, as was discussed earlier and will be discussed below.Alternatively, it should be noted that the motor 18 could be positioneddirectly in the hub 45 of reel 36, to impart a direct drive of the reel36, rather than use the belt 44 to drive the reel 36.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate overall and cross-section views respectively ofan inflated section 52 of a boom 50. The section 52 comprises theinflatable gas delivery line 40, which is attached into a stainless teefitting 54 and a deflation/Inflation port 56 allowing for inflatable gas(Arrows 58) to be delivered into the Inflatable section 52 of the boom50 through a jump hose 60. Inflatable gas 17 travels through theinflatable gas delivery line 40 at a pressure of 0.5 p.s.i., or apressure equal to the maximum pressure allowable in the inflated boom,and then into the jump hose 60 by traveling into the jump hose 60through the stainless tee 54. The inflatable gas 17 then flows from thejump hose 60 through the deflation/inflation port 56 into the Inflatablesection 52 of the boom 50, inflating the section 52 of boom 50 with thegas 58. Alternatively, the jump hose 60 may not be required, and the gas17 flows from delivery line 40 through tee 54 and into port 56. As seenfurther in FIGS. 3 and 4, the section of boom 50 is designed in a firstupper inflatable chamber 53, which is circular in cross-section wheninflated, and a skirt portion 55, which envelopes around the chamber 53,and terminates at a point 59 below the chamber 53, to a weighted lowerend 57. As illustrated, while the inflated boom portion 53 floats on thewater, the weighted lower end 57 pulls the skirt 55 below the surface 71of the water 70 to serve as a barrier against any oil escaping below theinflated portion 53.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gas or air is being delivered from gas line 16into the gas delivery line 40 through the rotoseal valve 21, whichallows the reel 36 to rotate while air is being delivered into line 40.Further, as seen in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 5 and 6, the gas delivery line 40is attached along the entire length of boom 50 as it is wound around thereel 36, and while wound around the reel 36, the gas delivery line 40 isdelivering gas along the entire length of boom 50. However, due to theweight of the boom 50 as it is wound on the reel 36, the inflation ofthe boom 50 will not take place at the force of 0.5 lbs. per square inchuntil the boom comes off of the reel 36. As seen in FIG. 6, when asection 52 of boom 50 reels off of reel 36, the air delivery line 40will deliver air (Arrows 58) into the section 52 which is being releasedfrom the reel 36 through the inflation port 56. Likewise, after thatsection 52 is released and inflated, the next section 52 will bereleased from the reel 36 and inflated. This process is repeated untilthe entire length of boom 50 has been deployed to the required length.In this manner, should a section 52 be torn or ruptured, and the gasescape, because each section 52 of boom 50 is inflated directly andindependently from the other sections 52, only the compromised section52 would deflate, but all other sections 52 coming off of the reel 36would be inflated in turn.

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate in sequential steps the preferred embodiment of thesystem of the present invention as it is being utilized on the deck 15of a ship 13. As illustrated in FIG. 7, several of the systems 10, asconstructed in the manner as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are onto the deck 15of vessel 13. When in place, the base 37 of the system would be securedonto the deck 15 of tanker 13 and would be ready for use in the eventthere is a spill, with the necessary power and gas supply lines in orderto make each system 10 fully operable. There is noted in FIG. 7 that anoil spill 80 has erupted which would usually be the result of a rupturein the wall 19 of the tanker and oil 81 or other type of petroleum isleaking onto the surface 71 of the body of water 70. At that point, thesystem 10 would be engaged and the air would be delivered into the airdelivery line 40 along the entire length of the boom 50 which is woundon reel 36. In FIG. 7, a small boat 65 has attached itself to the end 51of boom 50 and is pulling it off of the reel 36, via a line 66, and aswas discussed in FIGS. 5 and 6, as a section 52 of boom 50 is pulledfrom the reel 36, since the air delivery line 40 has delivered air tothe entire length of boom 50, the section 52 being pulled from the reelis inflated.

As an alternative, as seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, the boat 65 would notutilized, and its place the boom 50 would delivered through a system ofwinches onboard the vessel 13, and a guide or lead line 66 around theoil spill 80. As seen in FIG. 8, the lead section 52 of the boom issecured to the end of the lead line 66 has been attached to an onboardwinch 67 on the vessel 13. As seen in FIG. 9, the boom 50 has beenpulled from the tanker 13 so that the end 51 of the boom 50 reacheswinch 67, basically encircling and entrapping the oil spill 80. At thispoint, the oil spill 80 could then be cleaned up via vacuuming or thelike.

It should be noted that during the use of the system 10 to confine anoil spill 80, as seen in FIG. 10, should the entire length of boom 50 bedeployed from the reel 36, the empty reel 36 may be removed from base 37such that inflation of the deployed boom 50 is maintained and a nextreel 36 containing boom 50 with inflatable gas delivery supply lines 40may be positioned onto base 37 of the system 10. The inflatable deliverylines 40 associated with the previously deployed boom 50 may beconnected at the lagging, or last-off end, of the boom 50 on the reel 36that has been inserted in place of the reel 36 from which the priorsection of boom 50 was deployed. This process, of course, could berepeated until the entire oil spill is confined by the boom 50.

The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in thepresent invention.

PARTS LIST Part Number Description 10 system 12 inflatable gas supply 13vessel 14 manifold 15 vessel deck 16 hoses 17 inflatable gas (air) 18motor 19 wall 20 control 21 rotoseal valve 22 boom inflation valve 24pressure regulator 26 pressure regulator 30 arrow 32 arrow 34brake/clutch 36 reel 37 base 38 sidewall 39, 41 ends 40 air deliveryline 41 point 42 openings 43 boom inflation valve 44 belt 45 core 47housing 50 boom 52 section 53 inflatable chamber 54 stainless T fitting55 skirt portion 56 deflation/inflation port 57 weighted lower end 58arrow 59 point 60 jump line 65 small boat 66 lead line 67 winch 70 water71 surface 80 oil spill 81 oil

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature andpressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. Allmaterials used or intended to be used in a human being arebiocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; thescope of the present invention is to be limited only by the followingclaims.

1) An inflatable barrier deployment system for confining a materialfloatable on a liquid surface comprising: a. an inflatable barrier; b.an inflatable gas supply which delivers pressurized gas to theinflatable barrier at a point concurrent with the last-off section ofthe inflatable barrier; c. at least one inflatable gas delivery hose forsupplying pressurized gas from the inflatable gas supply to inflate theinflatable barrier as the barrier is deployed onto the liquid surface.2) The deployment system in claim 1, wherein the inflatable gas entersthe delivery hoses at a point other than the first-off or last-offsection of the inflatable barrier. 3) The deployment system in claim 1,wherein the inflatable gas first enters the delivery hose at a point notconcurrent with the last-off section of inflatable barrier. 4) Thedeployment system in claim 1 wherein the pace of deployment of theinflatable barrier is controlled through pneumatic means. 5) Thedeployment system in claim 1 wherein deployment of the inflatablebarrier is not dependent upon pulling the inflatable barrier from thedevice on which it is housed. 6) The deployment system in claim 1wherein the pressurized gas comprises pressurized air. 7) The deploymentsystem in claim 1 wherein the delivery hose supplies inflatable gas Intothe inflatable barrier through a connecting hose connecting an outlet onthe supply hose to an inlet on the inflatable barrier. 8) The deploymentsystem in claim 1 wherein a first end of a guide wire is attached to thefirst-off section of inflatable barrier and another end of the guidewire is used to control the direction and movement of the inflatablebarrier. 9) The deployment system in claim 1 wherein the pressure ofinflatable gas in the delivery hose is equal to or less than the maximumpressure tolerated by the Inflatable barrier or any portion of theinflatable barrier. 10) The deployment system in claim 1 wherein thepressure of inflatable gas in the delivery hose is equal to or less than0.5 p.s.i. 11) An inflatable barrier deployment system from a vessel forconfining an oil spill, comprising: a. a continuous length of boom woundupon a reel mounted on the vessel; b. a source on the vessel fordelivering inflatable gas under a certain pressure into the boom whilewound on the reel at a point substantially concurrent with the last-offsection of the inflatable barrier; c. a power source to rotate the reelfor allowing the boom to be unwound from the reel when necessary; d.means for inflating sections of the boom with the inflatable gas as eachsection of boom exits the reel. 12) The system in claim 11 wherein thesource for delivering the inflatable gas to the boom comprises adelivery hose which provides injection nozzles to sections of boom alongthe length of the boom. 13) The system in claim 11 wherein theinflatable gas enters the delivery hose at a point other than thefirst-off or last-off section of the inflatable barrier. 14) The systemin claim 11 wherein the inflatable gas first enters the delivery hose ata point concurrent with the last-off section of inflatable barrier. 15)The system in claim 11 wherein the pace of deployment of the inflatablebarrier is controlled through pneumatic means. 16) The system in claim11 wherein deployment of the inflatable barrier is not dependent uponpulling the inflatable barrier from the device on which it is housed.17) The system in claim 12 wherein the delivery hose is attached to theinflatable barrier. 18) The system in claim 12 wherein the delivery hosesupplies inflatable gas into the inflatable barrier through a jumperhose connecting an outlet on the delivery hose to an inlet on theinflatable barrier. 19) The system in claim 11 further comprising afirst end of a guide wire attached to the first-off section ofinflatable barrier and another end of the guide wire used to control thedirection and movement of the inflatable barrier. 20) The system inclaim 11 wherein the pressure of inflatable gas in the delivery hose isequal to or less than the maximum pressure tolerated by the inflatablebarrier or any portion of the inflatable barrier. 21) The system inclaim 11 wherein the pressure of inflatable gas in the delivery hose isequal to or less than 0.5 p.s.i. 22) A method of deploying an inflatablebarrier from a vessel for confining a material floatable on a liquidsurface, comprising the steps of: a. providing an inflatable barrierwound upon a reel; b. providing an inflatable gas supply for deliveringpressurized gas to the inflatable barrier at a point concurrent with thelast-off section of the inflatable barrier; and c. delivering theinflatable gas under a predetermined pressure to the inflatable barrierfor inflating that portion of the inflatable barrier as it unwinds fromthe reel and is deployed onto the liquid surface. 23) The method inclaim 22, wherein the inflatable gas supply is provided by the vesselgas supply. 24) The method in claim 22, wherein the inflatable gascomprises pressurized air. 25) The method in claim 22, wherein the reelis driven by a motor mounted to the reel; the motor driven bypressurized air. 26) The method in claim 22, whereby when a reel hasreleased all of the boom from the reel, the reel can be replaced with anew reel with boom to undertake the method in claim
 22. 27. The methodin claim 22, wherein each section of boom receives pressurized gasindependent of any other section of boom on the reel.